The stone is still sealed, the guard is still watching, and the darkest hour of the night has just come — and then heaven answers a question no soldier, no priest, and no locked door was ever able to settle: is He still in the tomb? Twenty verses later, eleven men stand on a mountain in Galilee and hear the last words He speaks before the world’s work becomes theirs.
A study in Matthew 28 · Arthur Baldwin · StandUp4Jesus.Org · 20 min read
He Is Not Here, For He Is Risen
This site’s own study of Matthew 27 ended at a sealed, guarded tomb — the priests’ own best effort to make sure this story stayed finished. It was never going to be enough.
“The night of the first day of the week had worn slowly away. The darkest hour, just before daybreak, had come. Christ was still a prisoner in His narrow tomb. The great stone was in its place; the Roman seal was unbroken; the Roman guards were keeping their watch. And there were unseen watchers. Hosts of evil angels were gathered about the place. Had it been possible, the prince of darkness with his apostate army would have kept forever sealed the tomb that held the Son of God. But a heavenly host surrounded the sepulcher. Angels that excel in strength were guarding the tomb, and waiting to welcome the Prince of life.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 779
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.”
Matthew 28:1-4
“The earth trembles at his approach, the hosts of darkness flee, and as he rolls away the stone, heaven seems to come down to the earth. The soldiers see him removing the stone as he would a pebble, and hear him cry, Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee. They see Jesus come forth from the grave, and hear Him proclaim over the rent sepulcher, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life.’ As He comes forth in majesty and glory, the angel host bow low in adoration before the Redeemer, and welcome Him with songs of praise.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 779
Matthew records what the women found; he does not describe the resurrection itself, since no human eye was there to see it. By the time anyone arrives, the tomb is already open and the angel is already speaking.
“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”
Matthew 28:5-7
“He is risen, He is risen! The women repeat the words again and again. No need now for the anointing spices. The Saviour is living, and not dead. They remember now that when speaking of His death He said that He would rise again. What a day is this to the world!”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 789
The same women who stood watching at the cross in this site’s previous study are the first witnesses of the empty tomb — and the first messengers sent to carry the news to everyone else.
All Hail
“And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”
Matthew 28:8-10
“After He had ascended to the Father, Jesus appeared to the other women, saying, ‘All hail.’ And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshiped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 793
“My brethren” is worth pausing over. The last time these men saw Him, they were scattering in fear and one of them was denying under oath that he had ever known Him at all.
Mark’s own account of this same morning names one disciple specifically in the angel’s message — a detail Matthew doesn’t record but that fits exactly what the risen Christ is doing in this scene.
“Since the death of Christ, Peter had been bowed down with remorse. His shameful denial of the Lord, and the Saviour’s look of love and anguish, were ever before him. Of all the disciples he had suffered most bitterly. To him the assurance is given that his repentance is accepted and his sin forgiven. He is mentioned by name.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 793
“Christ’s first work on earth after His resurrection was to convince His disciples of His undiminished love and tender regard for them. To give them proof that He was their living Saviour, that He had broken the fetters of the tomb, and could no longer be held by the enemy death; to reveal that He had the same heart of love as when He was with them as their beloved Teacher, He appeared to them again and again. He would draw the bonds of love still closer around them. Go tell My brethren, He said, that they meet Me in Galilee.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 793
He does not begin with a rebuke for their unbelief, though He would have had every right to. He begins with reassurance, and a meeting place.
His Disciples Came By Night And Stole Him Away
While Christ is meeting the women outside the city, the men who paid for His crucifixion are already at work on a different version of events.
“Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”
Matthew 28:11-15
“‘Say ye,’ said the priests, ‘His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept.’ Here the priests overreached themselves. How could the soldiers say that the disciples had stolen the body while they slept? If they were asleep, how could they know?”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 781
It is the same bribery that opened this chapter’s own predecessor — a payment to Judas started the story, a payment to the guard tries to end it, and both transactions run through the same treasury.
“In order to silence the testimony they feared, the priests promised to secure the safety of the guard, saying that Pilate would not desire to have such a report circulated any more than they did. The Roman soldiers sold their integrity to the Jews for money. They came in before the priests burdened with a most startling message of truth; they went out with a burden of money, and on their tongues a lying report which had been framed for them by the priests.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 782
Matthew’s own closing note in this section — that the story was “commonly reported among the Jews” even as he wrote — is itself a quiet piece of evidence. A story invented to explain away an empty tomb only has to exist because everyone already agreed the tomb was empty.
Lo, I Am With You Alway
The Gospel’s final scene moves north, to the mountain in Galilee Christ had named before He ever died.
“Suddenly Jesus stood among them. No one could tell whence or how He came. Many who were present had never before seen Him; but in His hands and feet they beheld the marks of the crucifixion; His countenance was as the face of God, and when they saw Him, they worshiped Him.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 818
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
Matthew 28:16-18
Matthew doesn’t smooth over the detail that some in that crowd still doubted, even standing in front of the risen Christ Himself.
“But some doubted. So it will always be. There are those who find it hard to exercise faith, and they place themselves on the doubting side. These lose much because of their unbelief.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 819
What Christ says next is the last recorded instruction of His earthly ministry, and this Gospel’s own final words.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:19-20
“Christ’s words on the mountainside were the announcement that His sacrifice in behalf of man was full and complete. The conditions of the atonement had been fulfilled; the work for which He came to this world had been accomplished. He was on His way to the throne of God, to be honored by angels, principalities, and powers. He had entered upon His mediatorial work. Clothed with boundless authority, He gave His commission to the disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,’ ‘baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 819
Twenty-eight chapters that opened with a genealogy proving Jesus had the right to David’s throne end with Him claiming a throne no genealogy could have given Him: all power, in heaven and on earth. The book began with His name explained — “God with us.” It ends with the same promise turned into a command: go, and He will be with those who go, alway, even unto the end of the world.
